Understanding Science glossary
absorb take in, such as when a soft material takes in sound and does not let it pass through
adapted having features to help it to survive
air the mixture of different sorts of gas that is all around us
air resistance friction caused when something moves through the air appliances machines that use mains electricity
asexual
reproduction reproduction where there is only one parent attract pull towards each other
average to work out an average, you add together your list of numbers and then divide the total by the number of items in the list
axis the imaginary line that the Earth spins around; the Moon also spins on its axis
balanced diet a diet that gives you the right foods for energy and growth and keeps you healthy bar chart a chart showing the numbers of things, using bars
battery two or more cells used together
blood red liquid that carries food around your body
blood vessels tubes that blood moves through (veins and arteries)
boiling describes a liquid that is turning into a gas as fast as possible – this happens at a fixed
temperature and you can see bubbles in the liquid
bones hard parts inside your body that make up your skeleton burning an irreversible change that gives out heat
carnivore an animal that eats only other animals
cell part of a circuit that provides electricity (the correct scientific name for just one battery)
circuit diagram a way of showing a circuit with symbols so it is easy to see how the components are joined together
circulatory system your heart and blood vessels
component part of a circuit, such as a cell, switch or bulb
conclusion what you have found out in an investigation
condensation when a gas turns into a liquid or the tiny drops of water that form on cold surfaces
condensing a gas turning into a liquid
conductor something that lets electricity flow through it
consumers animals that eat plants or other animals
decayed something that has rotted
diet the different foods that you eat
digest break up food so your body can use it
digestive system the parts of the body that help to digest your food
dispersed spread out, as when seeds are dispersed from the parent
dissolve break up into very tiny pieces when mixed with water
Understanding Science glossary
Earth the planet that we live on
electrical circuits a complete loop for electricity to flow around
evaluate decide how accurate or reliable your results are – this might depend on whether or not you have done a fair test and if you used the correct instruments for measuring
evaluation where you say how good your investigation was and whether or not it was a
fair test
evaporation when a liquid turns into a gas, which can happen at any temperature
evidence information used to answer a scientific question, which can include observations and measurements
evolution a change in living things over time
exercise running or other activity that makes your heart beat faster
extinct when a kind of animal no longer exists
fabric cloth made from a material, such as cotton or wool
faeces the waste part of food that has not been digested fair test an investigation where you only change one factor
fertilisation when a pollen grain joins an ovum in a flower
filtering using filter paper to separate particles that do not dissolve from water
food chain a way of showing what eats what
forcemeter an instrument containing a spring that is used to measure forces forces pushes or pulls
fossil the shape of a dead organism preserved in rock
freezing when a liquid changes to a solid as its temperature falls; for example, water changing to ice
friction a force that slows down moving objects
gas a material that is invisible, is easy to squash and spreads out to fill the container it is in
gears wheels with teeth on them that can be used to change the size of a force germination when seeds start to grow
grains the tiny pieces that rock is made from
gravity a force that pulls everything towards the Earth habitat the place where an organism lives
healthy when you are not ill and you feel good
heart a muscle that pumps blood around your body
herbivore an animal that only eats plants
image something that you can see in a mirror
impermeable does not let water run through it (the opposite to permeable)
inherit when a characteristic or feature is passed on from parents to offspring
insulator something that does not let electricity flow through it
Understanding Science glossary
investigating finding the answer to a scientific question
iron a metal that is magnetic
irreversible change a change that cannot be reversed, such as cooking or burning
joints joins between bones in your skeleton that can bend
key a set of questions to help us to identify different organisms large intestine where water is removed from food in your body
lever a long bar or rod that rests on a pivot; it can be used to change the size of a force life cycle all the changes that happen to animals or plants as they get older and reproduce lifestyle the things you do every day
light source something that makes its own light, such as the Sun, a light bulb or a candle
line graph a graph with a line drawn through the points
liquid a material that flows; for example, water
magnet something that can attract iron and can attract or repel another magnet magnetic material a material like iron or steel that can be attracted by a magnet
mains electricity powerful electricity that is supplied through sockets in the wall
material everything is made of a material – glass, wood and metal are all different materials – which can be a solid, a liquid or a gas
medicine a drug that makes you feel better if you are ill
melting when a solid changes to a liquid as its temperature rises; for example, ice changing to water
melts when a solid changes to a liquid
micro-organisms tiny organisms, sometimes called microbes
mirror something that can reflect light very well – you can see an image of something in a mirror
mixture different things jumbled up together
model something to help us think about things that are difficult to understand
molten melted and in liquid form
Moon a sphere that orbits around the Earth
moon a sphere that moves around one of the other planets muscles parts of your body that move your bones
natural a natural material is something we can use directly, such as wood or stone
newtons the units used for measuring forces and weight
noise sounds that are too loud or are annoying or unpleasant
nutrients substances that a plant or animal needs small amounts of to keep healthy and grow well
nutrition obtaining substances your body needs by eating food
Understanding Science glossary
opaque a material that blocks light, so an opaque material causes a shadow
orbit the verb ‘orbit’ means to move around something, just as the Earth moves around the
Sun; the noun‘orbit’ is the name for the path that the Earth follows around the Sun
organisms any kind of living thing is an organism permeable lets water run through it
phases of the Moon the different shapes that the Moon appears to be when we look at it from Earth pictogram a chart that shows the number of things using pictures
pitch how high or low a sound is
pivot the part of a lever that it turns around
planet a sphere that moves around the Sun; for example, the Earth is a planet pollination when pollen from one flower is taken to another flower
predators animals that kill other animals for food
prediction what you think you will find out in an investigation prey an animal that gets eaten by other animals
producers plants – all plants produce their own food from water, air and light
properties words that describe what a material is like
puberty when your body is changing from a child to an adult
pulley a wheel that can have a rope or string wrapped around it; pulleys can make it easier to lift weights
pulse the movement of blood that you can feel in your wrists or neck
rectum where faeces is stored before you go to the toilet
reflect when light bounces off something
repel push away
reproduce to make a new animal or plant
reversible change a change that can be made to go backwards, such as melting and freezing rock a hard, strong natural material used to build walls, bridges and other things
safety making sure you are not harmed
saliva a liquid that is added to food in your mouth
scale the numbers on a measuring instrument
sediments tiny bits of rock formed when larger rocks get worn away
sexual reproduction reproduction that needs a male and a female partner
shadow a place that light cannot get to because something is blocking the light
sieve a container with holes in the bottom, used to separate pieces of different sizes
skeleton all the bones in your body
small intestine where nutrients from food are moved into your blood
Understanding Science glossary
solid a material that is usually hard, keeps the same shape and volume and is difficult to squash
solidifying changing from a liquid to a solid; for example, by freezing
solution a mixture of water with something dissolved in it
sound a vibration that you can hear with your ears
spring a coil of wire that can be stretched or squashed
star a huge ball of hot gas that gives out heat and light; our Sun is a star state whether something is a solid, a liquid or a gas
stomach where food is mixed with acid
stretch to make something longer by pulling it
Sun a source of light that appears to move across the sky
symbols simple pictures representing things that are difficult to draw
teeth hard parts of your mouth that help you to cut and grind up food
temperature how hot or cold something is
theory a scientific idea that can be tested
thermal conductor something that lets heat flow through it easily
thermal insulator something that does not let heat flow through it easily
thermometer instrument for measuring temperature
translucent the word describing a material that some light can travel through, but you cannot see things clearly through it
transparent see-through, a material that light can travel through easily
variable something that you could change in an investigation vertebrates animals that have a backbone (humans are vertebrates)
vibrate move backwards and forwards very quickly
volume the amount of space something takes up
water cycle the changes that happen to water when it evaporates, forms clouds and rain, then ends up back in the sea
water resistance friction caused when objects move through water
water vapour water when it is a gas
weight the force of gravity pulling on something
